Shades of Black & White
Oct, 2015Views
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Awards
Winner in Architecture in Black & White Photo Challenge
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
Lower Manhattan, about 3 blocks from South Street SeaportTime
This was taken at around 3:30 p.m. in the dead of winter in NYC.Lighting
Not particularly, other than to say that there was no direct sunlight at all since the sun was beginning to set. All gradients, directional lighting and shadows were basically created in post.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon 6D, Canon 17-40mm f/4, Lee Big Stopper (3.0 ND), and a Mefoto Globetrotter tripod with a Vello Shutterboss remote.Inspiration
I was working at a law firm near Wall Street at the time, but the firm's office was moving that day so we were let out early. I brought my gear to work planning to go out and shoot, but I obviously couldn't have planned for the insane clouds and gusting wind that were tailor made for any type of long exposure. I started heading towards South Street Seaport to catch the sunset when I randomly looked up and saw these clouds whizzing by and reflecting off all of these buildings in the frame. I immediately had a vision in my head of how I wanted to process the shot to look in post, so I just got to work.Editing
Yes, a lot. For starters, there were two huge flag posts on the bottom left that needed to go. I then did some foundational edits in Lightroom using the exposure, contrast and clarity sliders, and I also applied several local brush adjustments in Lightroom to create more directional light. I then switched over to Photoshop where I first converted the image to black and white. After that I used the pen tool to select each individual facade of every building, as well as individual features of certain facades, saving each selection under the Channels tab. I then used many adjustment layers to selectively apply directional lighting to each facade, as well as additional adjustment layers to darken particular areas. For certain parts I applied the Nik Silver Efex Pro high pass filter, then inverted the layer mask to selectively apply the filter to the white lines on the building on the top right. I then applied global sharpening in Lightroom.In my camera bag
I only have one body (the Canon 6D), so I guess it's pretty important that it always makes its way into my bag. For lenses, I always bring along the Canon 17-40 f4 for landscapes and the Tamron 24-70 f2.8 VC when I need a bit more length. I always used to bring my 3.0 ND filter by Lee (the Big Stopper), but it eventually met its maker on a trip to Key West, so now I use the 3.0 B+W round filter. I also use the Mefoto Globetrotter tripod (aluminum), and also bring along the Vello Shutterboss remote, several memory cards and a couple of batteries.Feedback
Well for this particular shot it would be helpful if you're not embarrassed to lay on your back on the sidewalk in the middle of Manhattan. Composition was very important here, since I needed to ensure that there was something of interest across the frame. This was a totally spontaneous shot though, so being aware of what's going on above you while walking around a major city is often key to getting a great shot. Since I knew immediately that I wanted to process this in black and white, it actually made shooting much easier because I wasn't all that concerned with color, although I did want to make sure, that in using an ND filter I didn't overcompensate by exposing for too long, which results in blown out highlights.
